Flush mounted picture frame or the like



s. R. SCHEYER,

FLUSH MOUNTED PICTURE FRAME 0R THE-LIKE k 2 sheets-sheet 1 May 7, 19572,791,051

' Filed May 4. 1953 INVENTOR. STUART R. SCHEYER BY 7 1 6mm, gwzumw im- IS. R. SCHEYER FLUSH MOUNTED PICTURE FRAME OR THE LIKE May 7, 1957 2Sheets-SheetZ Filed Ila-y 4, 1.953

R .E mm TH. N mR, T R A U T 5 United States Patent FLUSH MOUNTED PICTUREFRAME OR THE LIKE Stuart R. Scheyer, Chicago, 11]., assignor to RelianceIndustries, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois- ApplicationMay 4, 1953, Serial No. 352,914

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-152.1)

The present invention relates to picture frames or the like adapted tobe wall mounted, and has particularly to do with provision for mountingsuch articles flat or flush against the wall surface.

The general aim of the invention is to provide a picture frame or thelike which is adapted to be flush mounted on a vertical wall, that is,with the rear face of the article in flat, contiguous relation to thewall; which is simple, economically made, and easily mounted on anordinary nail in the wall without the need for special fittings, such ashooks, wire, or brads, on either the frame or the wall; which may haveits elevation easily adjusted without repositioning the nail; and whichis constrained against rotation or skewing when once mounted.

Such an arrangement is particularly desirable in mounting a matchedset'of framed pictures in a group. Much of the charm of such decorationis lost if the frames lean out from the wall or if the locations areuneven and lacking in precision. With the present invention it ispossible to simply drive an ordinary nail for each picture, and slap thepictures up, so to speak. They will be flat and snug against the wall,can be readily shifted for corrective alinement. No juggling andmaneuvering of special fittingsin the cramped space behind the pictureis required.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe following description proceeds, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a picture frame constructed inaccordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of a picture frame embodying a modified formof the invention;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44 in Fig. 3;

Figs. 5 and 6 are front elevations of a picture frame embodying anothermodification of the invention; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are fragmentary sectional views taken along lines 7--7 and88, respectively, in Figs. 5 and 6.

Although certain particular embodiments of the invention have been shownand described in some detail, there is no intention thereby to limit theinvention to the details of such embodiments. On the contrary, theintention is to cover all alterations, modifications, and equivalentsfalling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theappended claim.

As shown in the drawing, the present invention contemplates a pictureframe or the like which can be hung with its back flush or flat againsta vertical wall and with no more than an ordinary nail driven into thewall. The nail is upwardly inclined, but at an angle of more or lessrandom choice. Nor is any special hardware or fitting required in theframe itself. While a picture frame has been illustrated, it will beapparent that the invention is also applicable to similar articles such,for example, as miniature shelves, clocks, lamps, etc.

2,791,051 Ice Patented May 7, 1

Referring particularly toFigs. 1 and 2, a rectangular picture frame 10is shown made of customary wood molding. The molding may take anysuitable cross-sectional shape and the frame may be of octagonal orother polygonal outline rather than rectangular, if desired.

In keeping with the invention, a groove or undercut 11, runninglengthwise along the upper rail 12 of the frame 10, is fashioned to openinto the rear face 13 of the frame. The cross-sectional configuration ofthe groove 11 is such that its upper wall or boundary surface isinclined inward and upward from the frames rear face 13 (Fig. 2). Moreparticularly, the groove 11 is inclined in the direction of its depth toangle toward the margin of the-frame. The groove or slot 11 may be quitesimply formed by, for example, a router or circular saw. The groove isof a depth slightly greater than the protruding portion of any mountingnail to be used and is of a width to permit free entry of the nail head.

To hang the frame, an ordinary nail 14 is driven at a more or lessrandom upwardly inclined angle into a vertical wall 15. The nail is theninserted into the groove, i. e., frame is then hung with the nail 14received in the groove 11. The weight of the frame 10 causes it to slidedown on the nail 14 until the rear face 13 is flat against the wall 15.The frame is thus securely mounted in a flush position. The frictionalengagement of the rear face 13 against the wall will ordinarily causethe frame to remain in a selected position of leveling and even if thenail is not precisely at the vertical center line of the frame.Accordingly, the frame may be slid back and forth horizontally areasonable amount or skewed angularly to locate it exactly as desired,both as to lateral position and as to leveling.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, theconstruction of the picture frame is generally similar to that describedabove. In this instance, however, a groove or slot 11a is cut to angleupwardly in an end-to-end direction, although it is still generallyhorizontal. With the frame slipped onto an ordinary nail 14 as shown,its vertical position or elevation may be considerably adjusted withoutremoving the frame 10 from the wall 15 or repositioning the nail 14itself. This is done simply by sliding the frame 10 horizontally so thatit rides up or down on the nail 14 due to the endwise incline of thegroove 11a. While this tends to unbalance the picture slightly, theflush engagement of the rear face 13 against the 'wall 15 creates asufficient frictional restraining force to hold the frame in a selectedlevel position. In hanging several pictures in a horizontal row suchadjustment affords great convenience, since the nails need not belocated with extreme accuracy in a vertical direction before the pictureframes are hung.

If desired, grooves angling toward the margin of the frame, asdescribed, may be formed in two or even all four rails of the frame, sothat the frame may be hung with any edge topmost without changing anyfittings whatever. It is simply slipped onto the nail with the selectededge uppermost.

In another form of the invention (Figs. 5 through 8), two grooves 16 areformed in spaced parallel relation within the rear face 13 of the frame10, preferably in the rear sides of the top and bottom rails 17 and 18of the frame as shown. Both the lengthwise and depth dimensions of thegrooves 16 are parallel, that is, the grove in the rail 17 is inclinedtoward the margin of the frame while the groove in the rail 18 isinclined toward the center of the frame. The frame 10 is thereforeadapted to be rigidly secured on two spaced nails 19 driven into thewall at upwardly inclined angles. The vertical spacing between the nails19 is made slightly greater than the vertical spacing between the twogrooves 16. In order to mount the frame, it is rotated from its 3horizontal positionaapdsslipped onto the'."na ilsl,.=l9;ilhieh arereceived inthe grooves'16 as shown in Figs. 5 and 7. The frame may thenbe rotated back" to"its'horizontal position (Figs. 6 and 8), theetwospaced nails 19 thus ben ja m aga s e sides of the r re pec i eflsmpw Yto P i e a i i r tmi t.l'.r fo the -t ame w thi t rear face 13 flushagainst they/211115. The jammed fit of the nai1s 19in the. grooves 16(Eigsi6 andifl8) locks the" frame in position and. prevents it frombeingpigfied directly from the wall withoutifirst being rotated tGtheposition'shown by Fig. 5.

I claim'as my invention:

A p w fmlm Q hel ehavins a n lyltiet ea c p edt l fl against a wl naxdhavins Pai of elongated grooves, generally parfalljeljn' theirlengthwise dimensions definedi in 'the upper and lower; pofrions j repvel sa er s drs oove eaehfieiaeanked or nd u n p l eli m inwar yandupwardly. infheir -idiredtionszof4ldepth {mm maid face iowreoeiver.aslairsdf ordinary nails driven into the wall at more or less random'"upward"angles and'spaced apart' slightly'more--than-= the spacingbetween said grooves, whereby rotation or skewing of said frame relativeto a line connecting the nails after the nails have been entered inrespective grooves serves to jam them in said grooves to secure saidframe flush against the wall.

R Referenges in :the tile of .this; patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

